Pavlo Rudnyckyj na coach of Varnsdorf and former club legend. Thirteen years ago, as player, e almost push Slavia Prague out of cup. Now e wan try do same thing from bench as coach.
E no go easy. Varnsdorf play third league. Last year the club dey fear for existence. Slavia dey play Champions League and na one of biggest teams for Czech Republic. Match go happen for MOL Cup third round.
Before the game, Rudnyckyj no just prepare team. E also get work to prepare stadium for Kotlina. On Wednesday afternoon, dem dey expect up to two and half thousand fans. E talk say besides coaching, e dey in charge of whole area, so e dey there from morning till evening. Organization don become more complex.
Varnsdorf na small family club. For fifteen years, dem be regular for second highest league. Their peak reach for 2015 when dem finish second and secure promotion to Czech elite. But dem refuse the promotion because stadium no meet requirement. Last year dem relegate and players scatter. Club even consider whether to enter third league at all.
Long-time boss Vlastimil Gabriel admit say situation hard and club face existential problems. Later, sponsor from Ukraine save Varnsdorf. Club announce new faces, new coaching team, new beginning. Dem finish eleventh for third league, and currently dem dey fourth.
Rudnyckyj still talk say ownership rights dey unresolved. Dem still dey decide whether club go sell or not. E no claim say dem don pass worst. After relegation, nobody know if dem go even play regional league. E call that period turbulent. Now things don stabilize small, and dem dey hope for better tomorrow.
Rudnyckyj be club icon with more than 400 games for fifteen seasons. E end him playing career in 2025 at age 36. Sometimes e still play for Vilémov in fifth highest league. But mainly, in winter, e take over Varnsdorf as coach.
Against Slavia, e fit field some players who dey work outside football. E talk say around two or three guys dey go work. The rest dey train morning and afternoon. E describe the team as semi-professional setup.
Even with that, e wan trouble the Champions League participant like thirteen years ago. That time, Varnsdorf hold Slavia to 0-0 for Kotlina. Then for Eden, under Miroslav Koubek, dem lose 0-1. Rudnyckyj remember say e miss two good chances for home.
E talk say anything fit happen, but God would have to not dey home. Still, e no dey go into match resigned. E say dem go fight for best result and trouble Slavia as much as possible. But e add say dem be realists. Dem know who dem dey play, the team quality, possibilities and strength. Dem go try make things unpleasant for Slavia.
Rudnyckyj compare Varnsdorf quality to Slavia as Zhiguli to Mercedes. E joke say dem dey look forward and fear at the same time. But mainly dem dey look forward. E call the match reward for everybody.
When Varnsdorf start MOL Cup, e tell the boys say goal na to reach far and bring league opponent to Kotlina. Dem fulfill that goal. Now dem draw Slavia, and e call am cherry on top. For cup run, dem first beat SK Štětí 6-0, then win on penalties for first round at Brandýs nad Labem, and for second round dem beat Ústí nad Labem for home after shootout. Now dem go face the best Czech team at the moment.
For another interview with eFotbal, Rudnyckyj talk say the game na reward for the team, club and whole region. E promise say dem no go give Slavia anything for free. E say dem know the huge quality wey dey come, but dem stand with feet on ground. Dem go try and see wetin e go be enough for.
E remember say thirteen years ago, the cup tie against Slavia na two legs. Home match end 0-0, away dem lose 0-1. E say dem come close to progress and for Eden dem get chances, including him own. But e note say Slavia then dey different situation from today.
As coach, e call Slavia inspiration. E talk say dem dey face best coach for league and giant club with biggest dimensions for Czech. E see am as high school for Varnsdorf. E believe say if dem prepare team well, dem no go shame.
E recall when e and him colleague Radek Porcal take over, people tell dem say dem crazy. Varnsdorf get only four points and no chance to survive. But dem do small football miracle. Dem handle spring, start new season decent, and cup na cherry on cake.
Rudnyckyj get 384 starts as club legend. E talk say e had nothing to lose when dem approach am. E no want make dem just finish competition. E want do everything to save Varnsdorf for third league, where e believe the club belong. Dem succeed.
Him squad special. Last season, e full of foreigners, mostly Ukrainians. E explain say market get plenty players. Some dey offer themselves or through agency wey dem dey work with. In winter, many guys come trial. Dem choose carefully those wey dem believe go help team. E think dem hit about ninety percent, and reward na survival.
Czech players no too want come in winter. Varnsdorf dey last and squad mostly foreigners, so e hard. But in summer, situation change. Players see say dem no just wan survive and defend, but dem dey play quality football. Some even start to offer themselves. Dem bring Czech reinforcements like Jakub Hudák, Emmer, Hora and Matěj Vít. Rudnyckyj talk say e played with some before or dem already work for Varnsdorf, so dem know wetin dem dey enter.
New season start well for Varnsdorf. From five rounds, dem get ten points and dem progress for cup. Rudnyckyj talk say main goal na to avoid relegation fight. But e add say only few rounds don pass, so nothing no mean yet. Season long and hard. Dem must confirm the good start every weekend. E dey tell the boys make dem hungry for success because dem dey play for their future and fit move higher. For dressing room, dem set concrete goal, but dem no wan announce am loud so dem no go look foolish if dem finish tenth. Dem want stay for first half of table.
